The Compressed Gas Association (CGA) has submitted formal comments to the U.S. Department of Commerce opposing a proposal to expand Section 232 tariffs on steel and aluminum to include certain types of gas liquefaction and separation equipment.

In a letter to Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick, CGA President and CEO Rich Gottwald urged the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) to reject a request from the Committee on Pipe and Tube Imports (CPTI) to include additional equipment categories within the scope of the Section 232 measures. CGA emphasized that such tariffs would have significant negative consequences for U.S. manufacturers, healthcare providers, and consumers who rely on equipment essential to producing industrial, medical, food, and specialty gases.

“Our members provide the oxygen used in hospitals, the nitrogen that keeps food fresh, and the gases that fuel America’s manufacturing sector,” said Gottwald. “Tariffs on critical gas equipment would drive up costs, restrict access to essential materials, and ultimately harm both U.S. industry and consumers.”

CGA’s letter outlines key concerns, including:

• Limited domestic manufacturing capacity for the equipment under review, making imports essential to meeting U.S. demand.
• Potential increases in consumer prices for products and services that rely on compressed gases—including medical oxygen, food packaging, and industrial manufacturing.
• Unclear representation of the U.S. steel pipe and tube industry by CPTI, the organization requesting the tariff expansion.

For more than a century, CGA has represented the interests of the industrial, medical, and food gas industry, promoting safety, reliability, and sound policy. This filing continues CGA’s long tradition of advocating for policies that protect member companies, ensure supply chain stability, and support American jobs.

To read CGA’s full submission to the Department of Commerce, please see the downloads box to the right of this page.